Being Bad
by EmW05
Summary: Daddy always told me, The thing in life you will enjoy the most, is the thing you are good at. I have tried to be better but, I am just good at being bad. STORY COMPLETED. Check out the Sequel, Comfortable.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

There was a time in my life when I tried to change. I went to church every Sunday, gave all my old clothes to the Salvation Army, and even gave multiple donations to foundations all over the country. Then it came to me, I couldn't ever change who I was. I could only be myself and if myself was a bitch then that's what I was going to be. Daddy always told me, "The thing in life you will enjoy the most, is the thing you are good at." I have tried to be better but, I am just good at being bad."   
  
Partying every weekend never got old. Going to bars on a Monday night after a hard day of school always made everything better. Peyton went with me on occasion. I had the most fun when she was. I knew when we got back to school on Tuesday she would tell everyone the things I had done at the bar the night before, but I didn't care. Everyone had already formed their opinions of me and they would doubtfully change them. Monday morning came too soon. I rolled off my king size bed and stepped onto my champagne colored, carpeted floor. Looking around my room, I realized that I couldn't see the floor because of all the clothes. Maybe the carpet was red? I couldn't remember. Back to the clothes they weren't normal clothes they were designer clothes. Chanel, Halston, Versace. You name it, I had it. After a quick shower, I dressed for another horrid day of school. My Blue Cult jeans, which fit perfectly, had been worn the night before and a Diane von Furstenburg pink floral camisole, given to my by my mother, hugged my body in all the right places.  
  
My watch read 7:50. Late again, I thought to myself. No time for breakfast, but who really eats breakfast anyways? I had a teacher who would always tell us, "Now boys and girls before a test you need to eat a good, hearty breakfast. Girls I don't mean a slim fast, I mean eggs, bacon, and toast. Maybe even some fruit or yogurt." That teacher was a heifer. That explained everything.  
  
Running down the stairs, I almost tripped on my BCBGirl pumps. I grabbed them and threw them into my Black Juicy Couture Tote. The keys to my Beemer lay on the marble counter top. I took them and headed out the door.  
  
The drive to school was miserable as usual. My typical hangover was kicking my ass as it tended to do. I rubbed my eyes with my left hand while my right hand steered the vehicle. A ringing sound came from my passenger seat. Thinking I was delusional I said, "Really gotta stop drinking so much." Then I realized it was my cell phone. I dug through my purse, finally finding the source of the ringing. "Ya got me." I said.  
  
"Where the hell are you? Jesus Brooke, I thought you were dead." It was Peyton Sawyer, one of my best friends. "After last night I wouldn't have been surprised. Seven shots of tequila?"  
  
"How do you expect me to remember? I lost count after two. The only reason I retained that information is because I was yelling the count out loud. Two!" I yelled, reenacting the night before.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I remember trust me. I was the designated driver, rem... no never mind you don't."  
  
I let out a low laugh, "A never mind is a terrible thing to waste, Ms. Sawyer." I pulled into the school parking lot. Being late definitely had its downfalls. I had to park on the back row with the sophomores. Now when school let out greasy sophomore boys would try to rub their prepubescent hands all over the Beemer and me. "Pey, I am in the parking lot. I will be in English in like, 10 minutes."  
  
"What the hell are you going to do for 10 minutes? Everyone is in class." She answered back. She was obviously in the bathroom. I could hear the echo and the giggles of freshman listening to the conversation.  
  
"Oh, Peyton, how slowly you learn. I don't have anything to do. That is the point. I am going to roam. Just give me my time, okay?" I closed my car door and started to walk toward the school. I closed my phone and threw it back into my bag. I opened the doors to the school. Another day in jail, I thought to myself. Something exciting was bound to happen. I was right, as usual.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The tiled walls of the high school hallway were a dreary and drab gray. The lockers where a bright red, which made out school resemble the inside of a fire station. All we needed were some poles to slide down. The floor, I could tell by the slipping of my shoes, was newly waxed.

Several students roamed the halls searching for something to do or someone to talk to. As I came around a corner, I spotted someone I knew. It was tutor girl. She was carrying on a conversation with someone. I couldn't see who it was because they were standing in the doorway of Mr. Thomas' classroom. I walked closer.

"Hannah," I called out. She turned around. The person she was talking to disappeared.

"What ya' doin' out of class? Little early to be tutoring isn't it? After school projects usually don't start until after school, right?"

"It's Haley. Not Hannah." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I was just talking to a friend."  
  
Looking up from my purse, I managed to say, "Oh, right, aren't they all?" I grabbed a Stila lip gloss out of my bag and applied it. My lips puckered together, then released. "Well, Helen, I should probably go to class." I turned to walk away and then once more looked in her direction, "Have a nice day." I waved back to her.  
  
I rolled my eyes and went to the main office. I crossed my fingers hoping that my receptionist of choice would be working today. She was. Mrs. Howard, a clueless old lady, no older than sixty, no younger that fifty- five. She ate everything out of the palm of my hand.  
  
"Mrs. Howard," I called out, walking into the office, "You look marvelous today. Did you get some sun this weekend?" My hands were placed on the desk across from here. I picked at my index finger nail. "Damn," I thought to myself. "I need another manicure already."  
  
She blushed and reached into a drawer for an admit slip. "As a matter of fact, Mr. Howard and I took the boys to the beach this weekend. They really enjoyed it. They built sandcastles, played volleyb..."  
  
She continued. I zoned her out. Daniel Howard. One of my favorite guys in all of Tree Hill. He was a senior at one of the rival high schools, Pinkerton. He was a leading scorer on and off the court. A definite player in my book. I didn't mind. I actually really enjoyed him. He was... good and we'll leave it at that.  
  
"Well Mrs. H, that sounds like an excellent weekend." She nodded and started to write my admission slip for my first period class. "You know my mother would have called in, but they are in Florence for the month. Just a vacation. You know how they are and I was sick this morning. I couldn't get myself to get up and call..."  
  
"I understand Brooke. I will give you an excused tardy because I am sure you wouldn't fib to me." She winked at me and I gave her a smile back.  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Howard." I took the admit slip and hurried out of the office. "I really owe you one."  
  
Once I was out of the sight of the office ladies I said to myself, "I'm sure you wouldn't fib to me." I gagged and stuck my finger down my throat.  
  
"Shouldn't you save that for after lunch?" I heard a familiar voice say. I turn and saw Lucas Scott right behind me. His skin was perfectly tanned and his eyes were the exact color of his ice blue UNC tee shirt. He slowly put his hands into his back pockets.  
  
I smiled, looked down, bit my lip, and slowly looked up. I ran my fingers through my hair. "Lucas, Lucas. You think you know me so well. I never realized how predictable I was."  
  
"You're not." He walked closer to me. We both stopped at the water fountain. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "People might think you are, but you aren't."  
  
I shook my head and said, "Everyone thinks they know me. No one really does." My hair fell to my face when I leaned over the water fountain. Lucas held my hair. When I leaned back up I said, "Hmm. You've never held my hair before have you?"  
  
He laughed. "Last time was over a ... toilet or maybe in Nathan's front yard."  
  
"Same difference." I shrugged my shoulder and looked at my watch. "Shit, I better get to class." I stood on my toes and kissed him on the cheek. It wasn't even a kiss. My lips were on his cheek. There was no kiss to it.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you..." I was walking to class at a steady pace by the time Lucas spoke. I waved to him.  
  
My hand reached for the doorknob to enter the classroom. When I walked in my English teacher didn't even notice I walked in. I placed the slip on her desk and went to my regular seat behind Peyton. I tapped her on the shoulder and whispered, "Tutor girl was talking to some dude in the hall." Peyton slowly turned around, making sure the teacher didn't see. She looked intrigued. "It was outside of Nathan's class." I leaned back in my seat. "So I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders.  
  
Peyton turned around right as Mr. Landon turned around. "Well if it isn't the infamous Miss Davis. How nice of you to grace us with your presence. I know how difficult it is to get up in the morning after a hard weekend of partying, but please... the rest of the week," He tapped his watch, "On time."  
  
I spoke up and leaned forward in my seat, "Now Mr. Landon, you know that I party really, really hard on the weekend so that I and sort of burned out for the week. But by about Wednesday..."  
  
Peyton interrupted me, "She will be here right on time the rest of the week." She looked back at me, with a stern face. "I will make sure of it."  
  
He nodded and continued on with the class. "Brooke, why the hell would you tell a teacher you party really, really hard on the weekend and then on Wednesday you party again?"  
  
"Oh come on Peyton," I put the end of my pen into my mouth, "Like everyone in this school doesn't know my party schedule." I crossed my arms across my chest. "Oh hey!" I whispered, loudly leaning forward in my seat once more.  
  
"What?" She asked, not even turning around. I poked her on the back of the neck with my pen. "Jesus. What?" She turned around.  
  
"Look at me when I am talking to you, damnit."  
  
She rolled her eyes and turned forward in her seat, "You must be joking Princess Brooke." I poked her on the neck once more. "Damnit." She grabbed the pen out of my hand.  
  
"I was joking." I took the pen back from her, "But as I was saying, I saw Lucas out there..."  
  
Peyton shook her head, "Oh shit Brooke, what have I told you? It was a one time thing. You liked him, I like him... fuck Rosie O'Donnell would like Lucas Scott and she is a married lesbian."  
  
"Whatever!" I said. "Listen, stop talking to me. I need to pay attention."  
  
"You were the one talking..."  
  
"Peyton," My shoulders dropped and I pointed my finger in her face, "What did I say? How easily you forget. What Brooke says, Brooke gets."  
  
"Right, right what was I thinking?"  
  
I tapped her on the head, "Obviously not about my best interest. I'm not as smart as you in English Peyton I have to study..."  
  
She quickly turned around, "Then study! Don't talk."  
  
I nodded my head, once. "Right. No talk." I "zipped" my mouth shut and didn't talk for the rest of the class. But once class was over, Peyton was listening to every damn thing I had to say.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The bell didn't ring a minute too soon. I got out of my desk and followed Peyton into the hall. She was digging through her backpack for her notebook. She didn't go anywhere with out it, writing down anything and everything was her forte. Mine on the other hand involved men, not boys, and clothes, exclusive preferably.  
  
My eyes roamed the hallway, looking for no one in particular. Or so I thought. When my eyes caught him, an alarm went off in my head "Go talk! Go talk!" My body pushed me toward him. He was the most amazing looking creature I had ever seen. His hands were dug deep into his pants pockets. "Lucas, darling." I took his hand out of his pockets and into my hands and glided down the hall with him.  
  
"Someone is in a good mood today." Peyton said, turning around looking at me. I shooed her away. She turned back around eventually catching up with Nathan Scott. Tutor girl was walking in the opposite direction. I could see the jealousy in her eyes as Peyton put her arm around Nathan's shoulder. Something inside me felt for her, but the Brooke in me laughed.  
  
I watched Peyton's fingers linger up and down Nathan's spine. His body wriggled as she did this. She did it three more times when finally his hand reached behind his back, taking her's and moving it toward the front of their bodies. She flipped her hair, as if she was flipping away the fact she just got burned.  
  
"Oh, Lucas." We continued walking, but he turned his head to look at me. "I know you a tutor girl are friends but..."  
  
"Brooke how many times do I have to tell you, she has a name?" He gave me the aggravated look I always received when she came up. Sometimes I thought that he had the hugest thing for her. How could he though? What did Haley have that I didn't? I was the envy of every girl in Tree Hill. I had money, looks, no curfew, everything. The fact he was crazy about her made me want him even more.  
  
"I know, but obviously I don't give a rat's ass what her name is. I am ever going to carry on a conversation with her that consists of more than a simple, How are you?." He rolled his eyes. I continued, "Anyways. What is up with Nathan and... Haley? Anything? Nothing?"  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Haley is a really good friend of mine so I figured that I would know, but I guess when it come to him, she is not willing to tell me any added information other than the fact that she is his tutor." We stopped at my second period class. "I just hope that whatever happens... is well thought out." He let go of my hand. "I will talk to you later."  
  
I waved to him and took my seat next to Peyton. We had all the same classes. "What did you say to Lucas?" She put her pencil behind her right ear. I reached for the pencil. I hit her on the shoulder with it.  
  
"None of your damn business." I handed her the pencil back. Stirring through my bag, I finally found a pack of gum. I pulled out a single piece of gum and placed it in my mouth. "I saw you get totally denied by Nathan thought." I started to chew.  
  
She whipped her head around. "None of your damn business." She sarcastically said back to me. Her shoulders shrugged. "So what if he did." She moved several curls out of her face. "Anyway, I bet I could get any guy in this school."  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah right. Get any guy in this school and what? Scare him away. I doubt it." I pretended to primp my hair. "Now I on the other hand..."  
  
"Oh yeah. I meant get a guy and keep him for longer than," She looked at her watch, "Five minutes. Date them. Not sleep with them."  
  
"If some dude lasted five minutes and he was with me, shit we have a problem." I laughed. "No he has a problem." I started to copy the History notes off of the blackboard. "I could get a guy and keep him longer that you could... easy."  
  
She turned around, looking me straight in the eyes. Putting out her hand, she said, "Want to make a bet?" I nodded. "Hundred bucks says that I can get a guy and KEEP him longer than you."  
  
"How long?" I asked her.  
  
She bit her lip, "Two months... tops. For one hundred dollars."  
  
"Two and you got a deal." She nodded at me and I shook her hand. "You have a deal. Starting today."  
  
Class went on as usual. I took the occational note, but most class time I dreamed up any and every possible guy I knew who I could date. Jake, Tim, Nathan, Daniel Howard. Then it came it me. Lucas.  
  
As soon as the bell rang, I stormed out of the room not even waiting on Peyton. Lucas was standing outside the door waiting on me. I wrapped my arm around Lucas'. I looked back at Peyton and winked at her. Let the game begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Step One- Find your main man. He is going to be the key to winning. If you don't choose just the right guy, all hell could and will break loose. Get someone you know and have possibly had a relationship with in the past. This will make it easier to start "dating" again. A line that starts with, "I have been thinking a lot lately about you and me" is the perfect ice breaker.

* * *

Monday was finally over. Walking outside, the way the sun hit my face was perfection. The way the sun hit Lucas made him look like some kind of sun god. He was going to be my sun god.  
  
He led me out to my car. "Talk about bad parking." He looked around my car at all the other vehicles parked near me. "Sophomore parking?"  
  
I opened the door to my car and got in. "I was late." I started my car and closed the door. The window was rolled down. Lucas peeked his head inside. "So I was thinking," He started to say, "No never mind, it is a bad idea."  
  
I knew where he was going with this, so I assisted him. "No, what where you going to say." I leaned to the other side of my car and opened the passenger side door. "Here get in. I will drive you to your car."  
  
Lucas climbed in. I watched him place his hands in his lap. He bit his lip. He was nervous. "I had just been thinking that, I mean, I know that you and I have been through a lot and I know that there was a time when you despised me."  
  
I gave him a "well I should have look". He acknowledged the look and continued, "And you should have hated me." He paused as we pulled up next to his truck. "I have just been thinking about how much being with you meant to... means to me and maybe, if you want, we could maybe try it again."  
  
So many things ran through my head. I couldn't fall for him. I did have feelings for Lucas, I always would. When there is someone like him who hurts you like he hurt me you will never throw all your feelings you had for them away. My plan was going to work. I didn't feel so bad about dating him for the moment now. He was the one who initiated it.  
  
I tilted my head and ran my fingers through the end of my hair and acted as if I was really contemplating the fact of us getting back together. "You really did hurt me Lucas and I know that I still do have feelings for you. I am not making any promises, but I don't see why a couple dates would be so bad."  
  
His golden face lit up and he hugged me. "I promise right here right now no other girls. No Peyton, no anyone." He put out his hand. "No other guys?"  
  
I shook his hand remembering the handshake Peyton and I had shared earlier in the day. "Deal." I put my hand in his. How ironic, the two deals I had made today were against each other.  
  
Lucas got out of the car. He hopped into his truck, rolled down his window and said to me, "I'll call you later." I nodded and drove off.  
  
As soon as I was out of Lucas' sight, I shuffled through my purse searching for my cell phone. Once I found it, I dialed a familiar number. "Peyton. You are in such trouble. Hope you have that two hundred ready for me."  
  
"Why?" She asked me. I could hear the nervousness in her voice.  
  
"Because I am going on a date with Lucas tonight." I pulled into my driveway and got out of my car.  
  
"I know you want to win and I am sure you really do like Lucas, because I know I still do, but please you are my friend Brooke, don't hurt yourself, okay?"  
  
"You just want me to loose so you can win. Brooke Davis, hurt? I am the queen of mean, I have a heart of ice... I'll be fine mommy." The door to my house opened. My housemaid, Rosa, was standing in the doorway with a glass of water. I took the glass and shooed her away. "Well Love, I will talk to you soon." I closed my cell phone.  
  
Before I could put the phone away, it rang again. It was a blocked number, "Hello?"  
  
"Brooke?"  
  
"Yes. Who is this?"  
  
"Don't you remember me? Maybe this will remind you. After the basketball game. Tree Hill versus Pinkerton. A month ago or so... I never thought you would have forgotten that... How many guys did you get with after that game?"  
  
I recalled back to that night and replied, "Just Daniel Howard." I paused. "Is this Daniel?"  
  
"Guilty as charged."  
  
I paused and dropped my cell phone. It broke into four different pieces. I never would have expected to talk to him again. Expecially after that night. What lousy timing? Did I get extra points in the game if I had two guys?


	5. Chapter 5

**_Author Note: This story does NOT follow true to the One Tree Hill series. No one knows about Nathan and Haley's feelings toward one another yet. Peyton and Brooke have decided to put the Lucas love triangle behind them. Thanks._**

**Chapter Five**  
Step Two- Everything must be perfectly organized. The guy must never find out what it going on. He must be completely oblivious to everything. Now I know this could possibly be very difficult, but just think about how nice that two hundred dollar bills will feel when they are in your hands. You'll get over it. Trust me.  
  
Shock. That was the only way to describe the look on my face and the feeling inside my body. I stood still in astonishment for minutes. My phone was shattered on the tile floor. I squatted down to retrieve the pieces of the phone and began trying to put it back together. Struggling to put the puzzle of a cell phone back to its original order, I threw it into my purse.  
  
There was ringing coming from the kitchen. I walked toward it and stood casually in the doorway. Rosa handed me the phone. A puzzled look crossed my face. She shrugged her shoulders. I nodded my head remembering that she spoke very little English and even if she did know who it was, she wouldn't have been able to tell me.  
  
"Hello?" I said, opening the refrigerator door and shuffling through anything and everything in there. When my mother and father were in the country, everything in our house was low fat, low carb, low calorie. Everything was soy or non processed. I never went to the grocery, so to eat there were grapes, tomatoes, or two week old milk.   
  
"I thought a girl with your breeding and having attended all the courtesy classes you did as a young debutante would have at least tried to carry a conversation with me earlier."  
  
It was Daniel. To clue everyone in, Daniel and I had a one time fling after a basketball game two months ago. We were both the most drunk either of us had ever been. He left me alone at the party after we had sex. I was the most mad I had ever been. Peyton and I had gone to the party together. She had left hours before, but I didn't have any means of getting home, so at three in the morning I had to call her to pick me up. I hadn't talked to him since. Part of me was surprised he even remembered it happened.  
  
After several moments of silence, I finally replied. "Well you can have the best breeding in the world but when you're confronted by an asshole it all goes to hell." I took a long drink of the water that sat in front of me. "You left me there. I know we were drunk and I know it was a one night stand, trust me I've had enough of those to be able to differentiate them from other "relations", but you just left me there." My voice slowly started to rise. "It was like I was a damn hooker." Rosa's head whipped around. For not knowing English, she sure did know what a hooker was. "I expected to roll off the bed and find some money left for me."  
  
"Brooke, come on. What was I supposed to do? Stay there, wake up with you, have coffee, spend the day together. Maybe we could have gone fucking running on the beach together, but that's only if you supply the sparkling cider and corny ass music."  
  
"You could have at least woken me up and told me you were leaving. I was inside of someone's house, in someone's bed, that I didn't even know. He was one of your friends. I was there with you." I paused and began to think. Why was Daniel calling now? Out of the blue. He had wanted nothing to do with me. I decided to take it up with him. "What are you doing calling me anyways? You need some because I would advise you to go to the corner of third and Jackson, that's where the working girls are."  
  
"No," He paused. "Before we were... drinking and everything. I really enjoyed your company..."  
  
"You called me after two months to tell me how much you enjoyed my company?" I was becoming increasingly aggravated.  
  
"Are you always this bossy? Just listen to me." I started to open my mouth but slowly closed it. "I really enjoyed you... not like that but your personality and I was wondering if you would be my date to my brother's wedding?"  
  
I was in shock yet again. I couldn't believe that Daniel had the nerve to call me after a one night stand two months ago. My first instinct was to immediately turn him down. There was no way that I could go to his brother's wedding. I could see it now, people would as how we met and he would have to say well actually Brooke and I hooked up after a basketball and I haven't seen her in two months, I just thought it might be fun to invite her. Something inside me told me to tell him yes, that I would go with him. So I did.  
  
"Yeah, I guess that would be alright." I said throwing three red grapes into my mouth at once. I walked over to the receiver to hang up the phone. He concluded the conversation by telling me he would call me later in the week with more details. I put the phone up and took off to my room.  
  
Once I got inside my room, I threw myself onto my bed. I looked over to my dresser drawer. Tons and tons of picture frames and loose pictures covered the top of the dresser. I got off the bed and walked over to it. A silk camisole lay on top of four pictures. I moved it and looked at the pictures. One was of my parents and me in St. Barts two years ago on a summer vacation. The water was a pristine blue. It looked like glass it was so perfect. Another was of Peyton and me asleep on her bed. Lucas had crept into the room and taken the candid shot. We both looked like hell. The third was of me and Nathan after a huge basketball win, I was on his shoulders with the pom-pons in the air. We were so excited that night. The final picture was of Lucas and me. I was taken in my car after we had eaten dinner. I remember it like it was yesterday.  
  
We ate at my favorite Italian restaurant in all of Tree Hill. He had looked so great that night. He had on a white button up shirt. He had rolled he sleeves up because it was a warm night. I wore a white linen dress with detailed blue flowers across the bottom. That was the night of our first kiss. Everything about that night was ideal.  
  
I closed my eyes remembering that night. I felt wetness on my face. My hand reached for my face. It was a tear. I quickly wiped it away and walked over to my full length mirror. I ran my hands through my hair and over my top, smoothing out all the creases and wrinkles. "Ice Queen." I said to myself, "It's a game. There is no crying in sports unless you are the loser." There was no way I was going to be the loser.


	6. Chapter 6

Step Three- Try to keep the bet on the down low. Don't let anyone else know about it. If one person finds out two people will find out then two will become four then four will become eight, it will spread like a wild fire so keep your mouth closed. It would be in your best interest.  
  
**Chapter Six**

"He called you?" Peyton shrieked as we sat at our regular lunch table. Our school was definitely not known for its lunch program. The food was always barely mediocre so we had to talk about something other than the fish sticks.  
  
Nathan continued eating the previously discussed school lunch while I said, "I found it extremely weird." Peyton gave a look of inquiry as she chewed on her peanut butter sandwich. "That he called. I mean it's been two months." I took a bite out of an apple. "It's not like we had a relationship but still..."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Nathan asked picking at the remaining fish sticks. "Is this really fish or is thing something..."  
  
"Unknown?" Peyton interrupted. "I don't know but, we're talking about Daniel Howard."  
  
"That asshole point guard from Pinkerton?" Nathan said.  
  
"Yep. That'd be the one." I said taking another bite of my Granny Smith apple. "Well he and I... after the game two months ago..."  
  
Peyton finished my sentence as she tended to do, "...got it on."  
  
"So why's he calling you now? It was a one night stand. That's weird." Nathan asked me finishing off his fish sticks.  
  
I took a sip from my water bottle which was always at my side. "He wants me to go to his brother's wedding with him."  
  
"Let me interpret that for you. Daniel wants to play grab ass with Brooke at his brother's wedding." Peyton said putting her fingers in her curly mop of blonde hair.  
  
Nathan rolled his eyes, "He wants to tap that ass and maybe grab it," He paused to take a gulp of Gatorade, "but there won't be any playing."  
  
"Nathan!" Peyton and I cried out. Maybe he was right. Maybe Daniel was just calling me because he wanted to get some and he was just playing games with me. He was making me think he really wanted to have a relationship with me when he really just wanted to have "relations" with me.  
  
"What?" Nathan asked with a full mouth. "I'm just trying to help out Brooke. I am a guy, I know how guys think. Guys like Daniel use girls. He is an all star basketball player. He has gotten with all his teams cheerleaders so now he is moving on to our team's."  
  
"Sounds like someone knows what they are talking about." I said nudging Nathan and giving him a smirk.  
  
"I would consider you a guy like Daniel so... you use girls too I guess, right?" Peyton asked him. "I know better than to ask that. I am stating the obvious." She rolled her eyes.  
  
I looked around the cafeteria and finally spotted her. Hailey. "So are you using her?" I asked, pointing to Hailey who was across the lunch room. She slowly started to come over, as if she knew we were talking about her.  
  
He let out a nervous laugh and said, "Why the hell would I use her?" Unbeknownst to Nathan, Hailey was behind him. "She's my tutor. I was using her to piss off Lucas but not to..." He felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Hailey. The color dripped from his face.  
  
"Nathan," She took a deep breath, "I was just going to tell you that, um, I can't tutor today." She gave a fake smile, fighting back tears.  
  
"Okay, thanks for the information but you can go back to your table now. I am sure you are missing out one some very interesting conversations right now, so..." I said, waving my hand in the direction from which she came.  
  
She looked at Nathan who looked back at me. I raised one eyebrow and shrugged my shoulders. "Unbelievable Nathan." Hailey said under her breath.  
  
I waved to her as she walked away. "Bye, bye. Come back soon. It's been fun!" Peyton hit me on the arm. "Ow!"  
  
"Stop." She said. I watched Nathan get up and run after Hailey.  
  
"He's got to be kidding." I scoff at them. "He can't like her. Granted, she is not the most hideous thing in the world, but still." I shook my head.  
  
"Maybe he really likes her. Ya know, there is more to a person than looks." Peyton said standing up to throw her trash away.  
  
I followed her. "You're talking like an ugly girl. Unattractive people say things like that and Peyton, doll, you are a pretty girl." I said placing my hand on her shoulder.  
  
She shoved it away and looked back at me. "Stop being so damn shallow." We sat back down at the same table we had been sitting at out whole high school lives. "God." She let out a long sigh. "You and Daniel deserve each other."  
  
Peyton pushed out of her seat as the table and began to walk away. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I screamed. I would not be caught dead pleading someone to come back and sit with me. I watched her leave the cafeteria. I sat alone for the first time in my life. "Good riddance."  
  
Lucas was outside the cafeteria. I saw the two meet up. Peyton started the conversation. I watched her point to me. My heart cringed. If she was telling him about he bet, it would all be over. Not only the deal, but anything Lucas and I had ever had.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Step Five- Deny, deny, deny. If the man of choice finds out about the bet everything could be over, but thanks to me, it won't be. Tell him you had heard that vicious rumor and who ever started it must really despise you. Tell him about much you care about him and maybe even make him some cookies. The way to a man's heart is through his mouth or something else...  
  
The look on Lucas' face after he talked to Peyton is a face I will never forget. It kept playing over and over again in my head. He was hurt and his face showed a sense of repulsion. He was disgusted by what he had just heard. His face was a deep red, full of anger and embarrassment. I watched him look at me, shake his head, and then turn away. I had my dignity to uphold, I would never run after him. My heart was already running after him. It felt like it was trying to jump out of my chest.  
  
The whole cafeteria was staring at me. I stood up and tugged at the asymmetrical hem of my blue Splatter Skirt. My shoulders were straight and pushed back so my posture was perfect. I slowly walked out of the lunch room with all eyes on me.  
  
"I heard she was pregnant. That's what Lucas was so mad about." A freshman girl said.  
  
"I don't believe that," said another freshman girl, "Look at her." She placed he head on her hand. "She is so perfect." The second girl was much prettier that the first. She had long blonde hair and was usually well dressed. She was thin and tan. The first girl had wavy brown hair and was pale compared to the other girl. She wore clothes that were to big for her and appeared to be from Wal Mart.  
  
"If to be perfect you have to be a bitch," the first freshman said, "count me out. I would never be caught dead acting like Brooke Davis."  
  
I turned around to look at them. They both lowered their heads. They wouldn't and couldn't be caught looking at me. They pretended like they had not just been talking about me. I sneered at them and continued walking out of the cafeteria.  
  
Lucas was peeking around the corner. I caught him looking at me. "Hey." I quietly said walking in his direction. I felt my stomach churning. I couldn't decide if I was going to puke or not. I was so nervous. What had she told him?  
  
He shook his head. "I should have known." He looked down at the tiled floor and threw his arms in the air. "Why did I trust you, Brooke, huh?"  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about Lucas, really and sincerely don't know." I put my arms on his shoulders. He shrugged them off. "Lucas please... Peyton was just mad at me. I don't know what she said but, I didn't do anything."  
  
"She told me that you are going on a date with some guy... Daniel? Is that true?" He finally looked up and was looking me right in the eyes.  
  
I felt a sense of relief that Lucas was mad about Daniel. I thought Peyton had told him about the bet. I finally spoke, "No... yes, well Daniel called. He wanted me to go to his brother's wedding with him," I put my hands on Lucas face and leaned in close, "But I told him no." "And that is the truth... the whole truth, nothing but the truth so help you God?" He asked me putting his hands on my hips. I felt his cold fingers on my protruding hip bones.  
  
My hand was out to give him a pinky sware, "I promise the whole truth. You have nothing to worry about." I kissed him on the cheek and took one of his hands from my hip. "Really."  
  
He kissed me on the forehead. "I know how Peyton gets when she is pissed but I didn't think that was like her to lie like that. I am really disappointed in her." He led me back into the cafeteria.  
  
I nodded at his comment and then smiled at the table of freshman girls who were gossiping about me earlier. "Great shirt." I said to the girl who was standing up for me earlier. A bright smile swept across her face. She was speechless. "Thanks. You're skirt is awesome." She finally said. I smiled back at her. "Maybe sometime I will give you the website of the place I got it off of." She nodded quickly.  
  
I followed Lucas back to the lunch table I had been sitting at previously. "I can't believe Peyton would lie like that. Especially to you." Two could play the game that Peyton was playing. No one wants to get on Brooke Davis' bad side. I thought Peyton was smart enough to know that. "I know what it is Lucas!" I said sounding relieved.  
  
He put his arm around my shoulder and tugged at the cap sleeve of my white ruched sleeve tee shirt. "Whats that?"  
  
Leaning toward him I whispered in his ear, "She's still crazy about you and is just jealous." I leaned back. "That has to be it." I shrugged my shoulders. "She did sound mad when I called her to tell her that we were thinking about getting back together."  
  
"That still isn't like Peyton. Even if she did still care about me, she wouldn't act like that toward you. Wait you did say she was mad about something from earlier right?"  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, something about Hailey. I said it was nice about Hailey and Nathan and that hopefully they would start dating." I took a sip of water and continued the manipulation, "She said something like, "Well she isn't that bad looking." I rolled my eyes.  
  
"That is so unlike her. I can't believe that. Come to think of it she has been acting weird lately around everyone."  
  
The bell for lunch to be over rang and Lucas gave me a hug. He kept his arms around me and pulled his head away, "I will meet you outside after school." I nodded and gave him a kiss. "Thanks for telling me the truth Brooke, I really appreciate it."  
  
"No problem Lucas. You know I am brutally honest." I leaned over next to my chair and picked up my white Jelly Bag. I watched him walk out of the lunch room and head off to his next class. I searched through it for my cell phone. Once I found it I dialed Peyton's cell phone. She didn't answer. I left her a message. "Peyton Sawyer. I thought you knew better than to mess with me. You are a smart girl but stupid move. You mess with me, I mess with you. Hope you hadn't planned on talking to Lucas anymore. Well have a nice day. Love ya." I closed the phone and threw it back into my bag.  
  
She was playing a dirty game but I was ready to get a lot dirtier. I was still clean. I hadn't even gotten started yet. This was just warm ups. Now I was ready for the real game to begin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Step Six- There will be a point in the game when you will question you're motives. This is when you need to come to the final conclusion of whether or not it is all worth it. There have been plenty of bad teen movies that show bets that turn out all wrong. Just don't do anything you will end up regretting. If this means quitting, then stop now while you are still ahead.  
  
Looking back on it now, it all seemed so obvious. I hadn't talked to my parents in three weeks. Even though I knew how busy they were in Florence, they were not the type of parents to just not call home for their whole vacation. Something was up.  
  
Being the type of person that I was, I pretended the fact that my parents hadn't called in almost a month didn't bother me. I would tell my teachers and family friends that were just busy and always used the line, "Well, you know my parents". They would usually just laugh and said something along the lines of, "Oh yes, you're parents are such social people". Yes they were, just not when it came to me.  
  
Dark clouds covered the green sky. It was the perfect morning for a tragedy to erupt. The rain began falling sometime around one thirty am. I distinctly remember because I finally left the bar about one fifteen. By the time I pulled into the driveway the storm had begun. Hail the size of golf balls were falling from the sky. I pulled the Beemer into the garage. I entered the house.  
  
Rosa stood in the kitchen awaiting my arrival. She pointed to the telephone. The answering machine said 1 new message. I pressed the play button and waited. A man with a distinct Italian accent spoke the few sentences that changed, ruined my life.  
  
"Davis resident. I regret to inform you that yesterday, March 5th 2004, Mr. Thomas Davis and Mrs. Lydia Davis, died. We will call you back with further details."  
  
The message was so abrupt. Millions of emotions raced through my body. Anger, sadness, fear. Once the tears started flowing, there was no ending in sight. My body collapsed to the floor. The cold tile on my warm body sent chills up and down my spine.  
  
What was I going to do? My parents were dead. Even though they were never at home, it didn't matter. The fact that they were one call away was comforting enough. There was no comfort in knowing that I would never get to see or talk to them again.  
  
That night I cried myself to sleep as if I was an infant longing for its mother. I was nearly an adult, but I was still yearning for my parents. They were gone, I ruined everything with my friendship with Peyton, and I was lying to Lucas. Something had to change.  
  
Thursday morning came too soon as it tended to do after my usual Wednesday night of partying, but that Wednesday night was totally different. I woke up on the kitchen floor soaked in tears and dressed in my bay clothes from the night before.  
  
School wasn't even an option for me. I couldn't face Peyton and I wasn't ready to talk to Lucas. My mind was made up, the bet was over. I had to tell Lucas everything. He deserved to know.  
  
Making me get up off the floor was hard. I raised my hand to my face which was somewhat dry and completely tear streaked. My back was pushed up against the refrigerator and I pulled my knees to my chest. I slowly lowered my head into my knees.  
  
Rosa came through the kitchen with the mop and cleaned around me. For the first time I can remember, Rosa spoke to me. "Senorita Brooke?" She placed her hand on my hand and ran her fingers through my dark hair. I slowly raised my head. I found comfort in her familiar face. A sense that I was not totally alone. "How are you doing?" She asked with a thick Spanish accent.  
  
I shook my head and replied with my best Spanish attempt, "Muy mal." She handed me a glass of milk which I politely took from her.  
  
She sat down next to me. "Your mama and papa tell me to take care of you. Anything you need, you ask Rosa," She said, pointing to herself, "I will help you mija."  
  
I embraced her and thanked her. "Rosa." I said as she walked out of the kitchen. "I didn't know you spoke English."  
  
"Yes, well, I am the maid, the housekeeper. Not the friend. I never speak to you because you always seem mad." She put the mop into the sink and rinsed it out. She then left the kitchen.  
  
I stood up and walked after her. "Rosa, please talk to me anytime." The smile on her face made me feel a little more at ease knowing that someone was there for me. She nodded and carried on with her work.  
  
Forcing myself to go upstairs and shower, I grabbed my purse from the kitchen floor. As I walked up the stairs to my room, I sorted through my purse. The light on my cell phone blinked quickly. I pulled it out. Four missed calls, two voice mails.  
  
I called my voicemail to check it. The first message was from Daniel. "Brooke, its Daniel calling about the wedding. Hope you're still up for it. I'm really looking forward to it. Call me and I'll give you all the details. Later."  
  
I deleted his message and moved on to the second. Lucas' voice came over the phone. "B. Didn't talk to you after school today. Hope everything with you and Peyton is okay. Call me back or I'll see you at school tomorrow. C ya."  
  
Epiphany. That is what I had right at that moment. I had to change. Everything had to change. Life was too precious for me to continue living like everyone owed me something. It was time to turn over a new leaf. It wasn't going to be easy. I didn't know if I could change. I had tried so many time before but tomorrow was going to be the first day of the rest of my life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Final Step- Finally, the bet is over. You either won or you didn't. There is no in-between. Always be gracious in winning and in defeat. It will help you in the long run.  
  
The realization that it was already the end of the week didn't hit me until three o'clock Friday afternoon when LaLa on TRL screamed, "Finally the school week is over and you are now here... with us on TRL". The camera cut away from her and to the crowd outside. Thousands of people stood outside hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite rock or movie star. Their lives seemed so simple. I wished my only worry was that I wouldn't get to see Beyonce or Eminem that day.  
  
As I rolled over and out of bed, something poked me on the back. It was the picture of my parents that I had slept with the night before. The same photo I had looked at so many times now had a different meaning. Everything was so peaceful. The clouds were a pristine white and the turquoise colored ocean was very tranquil. This made me wonder if that's what heaven looked like, white and perfect. I closed my eyes and dangled my legs over the edge of my bed, thinking.  
  
My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at my door. "Senorita, you have a visitor. They are in the foyer," Rosa called out. She slowly opened the door and peeked her head in. "Do you want to come down or no?" She asked.  
  
I sat up and got off my bed which had not been made in weeks just because I was lazy. "Yes, tell them I will be down in a minute, please." She nodded at me and left the room. Looking into the mirror, I didn't recognize myself. I looked like hell. I picked my hair brush off of my dresser and ran it through my tangled hair. A pair of pink cropped cargo pants lay on the floor; I picked them up and put them on. My hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and I found a black deep v-neck top on the edge of my bed. I picked it up and threw it on. Looking back into the mirror, I felt somewhat presentable, so I headed downstairs.  
  
By the time I was to the bottom of the stairs, I saw my visitor. He sat in the living room, leaning forward on the leather couch. I slowly approached him. He turned around. It was Lucas. I gave him a small smile and sat next to him on the couch. What was I supposed to say?  
  
"Hey," was all I could manage. He put his arms around me and engulfed me in a hug. Someone must have found out what happened and the must have told him. When we pulled away, I spoke again, "Thanks for coming to see me." I smiled again, this time a little bigger.  
  
"Incase you were wondering, Peyton told me. She called your house and talked to Rosa." He lowered his head, not looking at me. He looked up and into my eyes, "Brooke, I'm so..."  
  
"No," I said, now was the time. I was starting to feel guilty that he felt so sorry for me when I had not been honest with him in weeks. "I don't want you to be sorry. I don't deserve your pity."  
  
He tried to put his arm around me but I pushed him away, "Brooke, what are you talking about? If anyone should be sorry for you it is me. I know what is it is like to be missing a parent in your life. Peyton does too."  
  
"Can we please not talk about her right now?"  
  
"Yeah," He sat back and crossed his arms, "But what is up with you?"  
  
I took and deep breathe, "Lucas, I have not been totally honest with you about... about anything." Tears started to fall from my eyes. I wiped them away thinking, when will they ever run out. His eyes were full of curiosity. "This is so hard for me." He wiped my eyes with the bottom of his shirt. How could I have done this to him? He was the most perfect person I had ever encountered in my whole live. A bitch like me did not deserve someone like him. "A week or two ago Peyton and I made a bet. We decided to see who could get a guy first." I watched his body tense up. "It was the same day that you told me you wanted to get back together. Me being the jerk that I am agreed because I wanted to win the bet." It all came out like word vomit, I couldn't stop. "I did agree to go on a date with Daniel Howard to his brothers wedding. I was the one who asked why Nathan is with Hailey," The tears began to fall very steadily, "and I was the one who ruined everything."  
  
My body fell into arms, his arms. I never would have expected after saying all that that Lucas would still be sitting there next to me on the couch. I figured he wouldn't want to be within a fifty mile radius of me. His hands ran over my back. He finally spoke, "Don't think that I am not disappointed, because I am and don't think that you are getting off this easy because you're not." I looked up at him and he continued, "Maybe we just need to talk everything out and set some boundaries. If you want, I don't mind if you go to the wedding with Daniel, just don't sleep with him again. I am just looking out for your own good now." We pulled away from one another and looked into each others eyes. I stopped crying. "Brooke, I am so crazy about you that whatever you did, I wouldn't care. That is how much I love you and that scares me..."  
  
Before he could finish, I interrupted his sentence, "What did you say?" I asked him, taking a deep breath and sitting back in the couch. I pulled my legs up and sat Indian style next to him.  
  
I watched his mouth slowly open until I heard the words come from his mouth for the second time, "I love you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Monday was the day of the funeral. I hadn't been to school since I found out about my parents. People had called; flowers were delivered; thinking that they would fill the void that my parents had left. If there was a night that I wasn't busy, I would sit alone in my parent's room, on their bed, and just think. Lucas made sure that most nights I was out of the house because he knew how lonely I was when I was home by myself.  
  
The house was filled with an array of flowers and smelled like a greenhouse. Friends of my parents from all across the globe sent their regards to my family, which consisted of only myself. Before the funeral, I prayed that people would show up so that I wouldn't feel like no one cared about my parents.  
  
Lucas came with me to the visitation. He stood at the front of the funeral home with me. Without him, I would not have been able to get through it. When I started to feel weak again, Lucas could tell. He would put his arm around my waist to keep me from falling to pieces. Every once I a while, I would look into his eyes. He could tell what I was saying just by looking at me. The fact that he could almost read my mind made me wonder if Lucas was possibly the man I was supposed to be with for the rest of my life; if he was my soul mate.  
  
When visitation was over, Lucas took me back home. Rosa had made dinner. She had not eaten yet so she ate with us. We had roasted chicken breast with rice and a side salad. I hadn't eaten a full meal in days. It tasted so good it was almost like I had never had a meal in my life.  
  
After dinner, Lucas and I went to the backyard. We had both changed clothes. I was dressed in my pajamas and he had on a pair of basketball shorts and a Jordan shirt. Neither of us wore shoes. We sat at the edge of the pool with our feet dangling into the water. I laid back and looked up into the dark sky. It wasn't black; it was navy almost like the ocean at night and the stars were the few boats still out searching for their harbor.  
  
Lucas' arm found its way around my waist as we lay together on the grass. I curled up next to him. My head rested on his chest. I could hear his heart beating evenly. He bent his knees until they were out of the water. One of his hands was behind his head while the other remained around my waist. I relaxed both my hands onto his abdomen. My ship had found its harbor. I had found what I needed. With him was where I needed to be right now.

* * *

Waking up Saturday morning in Lucas' arms was like a dream. I had only dreamt of something like this. Everytime I had woken up with a guy in the past was after a one night stand. This was different, everything was different now. I felt like if my parents were here they would have been proud of me.  
  
My parents were around very much growing up. They loved to travel and being well off as we were, gave them the chance to travel as much as the wished. They were never home for my birthdays, but by the time birthdays mattered I didn't really mind. I had become accustomed to it. It would have been odder if they were there for my birthday. They didn't know anything about me. I am sure they had to have an idea of my partying habits considering the times they were home; they saw my pissy drunk throwing up in every bathroom in the house.  
  
Everyone thought the only reason I drank and did the things I did was to get my parents attention. I guess that is maybe why I started, but that was not why I continued. I don't really have one steady reason as to why I was always the way I was. I just did what I knew. My parents drank and partied, so I figured I would to. You do what you are used to and I just happened to be used to partying.  
  
But back to my parents, I think that if they could see me now and the way that I was with Lucas, that they would be happy for me. I think that they would be relieved that everything turned out all right for me. They had to think that I was going to end up in some dark alley downtown with the ladies of the night. I lived to prove them wrong and I surely did.  
  
For the first time in my whole life I felt happiness. Sincere happiness. A type of happiness that everyone is supposed to experience in their lives. Lucas was that for me. I sat up and stared at him. He was still asleep. Unaware if he was about to wake up or if he was going to continue sleeping, I headed into the kitchen. Rosa was sitting in the kitchen at the table reading the front page of the newspaper. She looked up over her paper and at me. I watched a smile creep across her face, "Senorita Brooke, is that a smile?" She asked me taking a sip of coffee from her mug. "I have never seen your face do that before," She said, pointing to her own mouth, "See right here, where it curves up."  
  
I smiled at her and looked out the large windows. Lucas had woken up. He was starting to walk toward the house. Rosa watched me stare at Lucas and she spoke, pointing his direction, "He, I like him." She said standing up and walking toward me. She put her hand on my back and said, "He is that curve in your smile."  
  
He opened the door and walked into the kitchen. I handed him a cup of coffee, which he accepted. He took a drink from it and tossed two sugar cubes into it. I felt my mouth start to do what Rosa was commenting on. The corners of my mouth began to curve. Lucas kissed me on the forhead and Rosa looked into the kitchen from the formal dining room. "That's it." She said pointing to both of us. We were both smiling from ear to ear. Rosa turned to leave the room. As she walked out, I heard her say, "Ay aya, Senorita Brooke not at mad as I always thought she was."


End file.
